Golfer&#39;s arm bend restraining device



Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. COUPAR 3,339,926

GOLFERS ARM BEND RESTRAINING DEVICE Filed April 28, 1965 2 Shee ts-Sheet1 ROBERT B COU PAR Sgpt- 5, 1967 R. B. COUPAR GOLFER'S ARM BENDRESTRAINING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 28, 1965 INVCNTOR ROBER LB. COUPAR I I fil" ATTORNEYQ United States Patent 3,339,926 GOLFERS ARMBEND RESTRAINING DEVICE Robert B. Coupar, 4447 Narvaez Crescent,Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 451,4097 Claims. (Cl. 273-183) This invention relates to swing correctingdevices for golfers.

The development of a proper swing in golfing has resulted in the designof many attachments to be applied to the golfers arm and which areprimarily for the purpose of maintaining his leading arm in a relativelystraightened condition during the movement of the club through and tothe top of the back-swing. It is common amongst golfers, especially withbeginners, to bend the arm at the top of the back-swing so as to relievethe strain upon the shoulder and back muscles. In order to prevent thisbending, the swing devices hereinbefore mentioned have usually employeda stiffening brace which may be connected to the arm to extend acrossthe inside of the elbow and which therefore always maintains the arm ina relatively straight, stiff condition. Although these devices haveresulted in a properly stiffened arm respecting the back-swing portionof the entire golf swing, they also maintain the arm in a stiffenedcondition throughout the entire follow-through portion of the golfswing. It is important, in perfecting a proper golf swing, to completethe entire swing in a manner in which the body is left in a perfectlybalanced condition after the club is brought to rest, following thehitting of the ball. In order to do this, there must be freedom of theleading arm to bend and thereby allow the club to swing to a positionacross the back of the golfer, a position which should be reached uponthe completion of the swing. Where the leading arm is not permitted tobend upon completion of the swing, the golfer must consciously bring hisclub to a stop after hitting the ball to prevent undue strain on hisleading arm imparted thereon by the swinging club at the end of thefollow-through stroke. It has been found that a conscious effort on thepart of a golfer to retard his swing after striking a ball, materiallyaffects his ability to concentrate on the initial portion of his swingas he must always have in mind the need for retarding a swing afterstriking a ball, or finding himself thrown off balance as he attempts tobend his arm at the termination of the followthrough portion of theswing.

The present invention provides an apparatus to maintain the leading armin a stiffened condition during the back-swing portion of the golf swingyet, which by utilizing the relative changing position of the wrist tothe upper arm occasioned by the pronation of the hand as the arm movesinto the follow-through portion of the golf swing, automaticallyoperates to permit the elbow to be bent, thereby permitting the golferto finish his stroke in the desired relaxed manner.

The present invention also provides a means by way of an audible signalafter the club is brought to the top of the back-swing whereby he maymomentarily hesitate for a predetermined period of time before swinginghis club downwardly to strike the ball. This momentary hesitation isimportant in developing a controlled swing so that the golfer mayconcentrate on proper co-ordination of all his movements before swinginghis club to strike the .ball.

The present invention also provides a means whereby the golfer isdirected to maintain a firm grip upon the club at the top of theback-swing. The loosening of the grip, especially that of the left hand,is a common fault of neophytes and leads to loss of club control.

The present invention comprises a brace formed of a pair of elongatedtelescopically-arranged members, means to fasten each end of the braceat the wrist and biceps so that it extends around the inside of theelbow, said members being telescopically positionable between extendedand retracted positions upon movement of the arm between straightenedand bent positions and being relatively rotatable to permit pronation ofthe hand, mutually engageable locking means on each member located so asto be operatively effective for locking the members in a predeterminedposition of extension operating upon their change in relative positionfrom a fully extended position, effected by the tendency of the arm tobend during the back-swing from a fully straightened position, tothereby prevent bending of the arm and to be operatively ineffectiveupon said members change in relative position effected by the pronationof the hand in the follow-through portion of the swing, to therebypermit the member to move to a retracted position and thereby permit thearm to bend freely.

In the description and claims following, the terminology used todescribe the various portions of a golf swing shall be those commonlyused by proficient and learned golfers and, in describing the purposeand use of the apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention,reference shall be made to its application as applied to the left arm ofa right-handed golfer, it being understood that when used by aleft-handed golfer, reference hereinafter to the left arm of aright-handed golfer shall be deemed to apply to the right arm of aleft-handed golfer.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention,

FIGURE 1 is a graphic illustration of a golfer, showing the swingcorrecting device in dotted lines and the club correctly positioned atthe top of the back-swing,

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, showing the position of agolfers arm, the position of the correcting device in dotted lines andthe club while addressing a golf ball,

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURES 1 and 2, showing the correctposition of the golfer, the swing correcting device in dotted lines andthe club at the termination of the follow-through part swing,

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of the device constructed in accordancewith this invention,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the device of FIGURE 4 taken along line55 thereof,

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the telescopically-arrangedmembers, illustrating the latter in their locked position,

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing said members in anunlocked extended position, one of the members being rotated relative tothe other at the position as shown in FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURES 6 and 7, showing the members intheir retracted position.

In describing the construction and application of the golf swingcorrecting device herein accorded the numeral 10, reference will be madeto the position assumed by various of its movable parts as the left arm12 of the golfer is moved throughout the entire golf swing.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the golfer at the moment of address to a golf ball13. In this position, the golfer extends the club 14 so that the head 15thereof lies just behind the ball 13. In this position, the arm 12 isfully extended as straight as possible and inclined outwardly at anangle to the body. The back of the left hand and, consequently, theinside of the Wrist is in somewhat of a vertical plane. The left arm 12is then swung to the right, being maintained in a stiffened position soas to swing the club up into what is commonly termed the back-swing. Asthe left arm is being swung back to reach a point at which it can nolonger be swung away from the ball, the left wrist is allowed to bendslightly or cock so that the club 14 assumes a somewhat horizontalposition behind the golfers head. It is usually found that beginners atthe game of golf find it impossible to maintain the left arm in astraightened condition and, at the same time, cock the wrists.Consequently, it is advisable that the left arm should bend or flexslightly in order to relieve the strain on the muscles thereof. However,golfing neophytes, in order to relieve the strain, usually overbend thearm to such an extent that absolute control of the club during its swingis lost. In swinging the club 14 from the top of the back-swing, asshown in FIGURE 1, to meet the ball, the centrifugal force of the cluband the lower part of the arm normally results in the arm returning toits fully straightened condition, as shown in FIGURE 2. After the ballis struck, the arm is permitted to swing forwardly and upwardly, thislatter movement being termed the followthrough, during which movementthe left hand 17, while the arm 12 is in its straightened condition ispronated," that is, rotated around the elbow and wrist from a positionin which the back of the left wrist is moved from its substantiallyvertical position to a horizontal position. At the same time, the leftarm is relaxed, allowing it to bend and to carry the club behind thegolfers head.

The full swing, that is, the swing commencing with the club addressingthe ball to the termination of the followthrough portion of the swing,must be conducted smoothly so that the body will always remain inbalance. Furthermore, although the left arm must be maintained in arelatively straightened condition at the top of the back-swing, yet itmust be allowed freedom of movement at the termination of thefollow-through part of the stroke in order to allow it to bend, therebymaintaining this balance. It is to the attaining of the stroke, asdescribed hereinbefore, by maintaining the arm in a straightenedcondition at the top of the back-swing and, to the free bending of thelatter at the termination of the follow-through, that the device ismainly directed.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the device comprises a pair of elongatedhollow cylindrical shafts 19 and 20. Shaft 19 having a slight smalleroutside diameter than the inside diameter of shaft 20 so that bothshafts may be telescopically mated and are slidable and relativelyrotatable to each other. The opposed ends 22 and 23 of shafts 19 and 20respectively, are each provided with fastening apparatus 25 and 26respectively, whereby said opposed end 22 of shaft 19 may be secured atthe wrist 18 and the opposed end 23 of shaft 20 secured at the biceptsof the arm.

Referring only to fastening apparatus 25, as fastening apparatus 26 isformed in exactly the same manner, it will be seen that the opposed end22 of shaft 19 is closed by a cylindrically shaped plug 28 which extendsfrom said end, and is hingedly mounted on a shaft 29 which extendsbetween the arms 30 of a yoke-like bracket 32, the latter having a base33 normal to said arms and provided with a central circular aperture 34.The bracket 32 is mounted on an upper surface 35 of a short yet thickslide block 37 on the shaft 38 of a pin 39 which passes verticallythrough the aperture 34 and downwardly through a passage 40 formed inthe sliding block 37. The passage 40, which slidably embraces the shaft38 of the pin, has an enlarged portion 42 at its lower end to form ashoulder 43, and the pin 39 has a nut 45 threaded at its lower end 46,the upper end 47 thereof being riveted. A coil spring 50 is maintainedcaptive under compression between the nut 45 and the shoulder 43 so thatthe bracket 32 is normally urged against the upper surface 35 of saidslide block. The slide block 37 is formed having an opposed pair ofoutwardly sloping side surfaces 54 and 55 which are arranged to slidablymate with similar sloped side surfaces 57 and 58 respectively, of anelongated groove 59 formed in the upper surface 60 of an elongated andrectangularly shaped slide block retaining mem- 4 ber 61. The groove 59has a planar base 63 upon which the bottom surface 64 of the slide block32 slidably bears,

the slide block 37 and retaining member 61, by reason of the matingsurfaces 54, 55, 57 and 58 respectively, being slidable relative to eachother longitudinally of the groove 59 only.

The base 63 of groove 59 is provided with a longitudinal series ofenlarged apertures 66 adapted to freely receive the nut 45 at the lowerend of the shaft 38, the pin being long enough so that when the bracket32 is urged downwardly against the upper surface 35 of the slide blockby the spring 50, the nut will extend into said apertures 66, engagingthe one selected and thereby preventing relative slidable movement ofthe slide block 37 with the retaining member 61. The enlarged portion 42of the lower end of the passage 40 is sufliciently long enough so as topermit the nut to be fully withdrawn from any one of the apertures 66selected and into said enlarged portion 42 when the bracket 32 islifted, against the action of the spring, upwardly from the uppersurface 35 of the slide block 37, thereby permitting selective slidablepositioning of the slide block relative said retaining member 61. Theretaining member 61 is provided with a transversely extending slot 69through which a suitable strap 70 is threaded, the said strap beingsufficiently long that it may extend around the wrist of the arm.

Fastening apparatus 26 is of similar construction to fastening apparatus25 having a yoke-like bracket 72 secured on a slide block 73, the latterbeing arranged in the same manner as is found in fastening apparatus 25for selective longitudinal positioning on a slide block retaining member74. Fastening apparatus 26 is different from fastening apparatus 25 inthat the retaining member 74 is provided with a stiff curvate halfsleeve 76, fastened thereto by rivets or the like, and which may besecured to the arm at the biceps thereof by means of straps 77.Fastening apparatus 26 is secured in the same manner to a plug 78,similar to plug 28, and fitting and closing the opposed end 23 of saidshaft 20.

Shaft 19, at or near its middle length, is partially cut away as by anarcuately shaped slot to provide a longitudinally extending tongue 82extending towards the free end 83 of said shaft, and shaft 20 isprovided with a latch mechanism, accorded for identification the numeral85, and which is adapted to engage the slot 80 in a manner hereinafterto be described.

The latch mechanism 85 comprises an elongated fiat strip of stiffiyflexible material 87 which may be formed of spring steel or a material,such as a stiff thermoplastic, the strip being rolled at one end 89 toform a transversely extending sleeve 90 and extends beneath a U -shapedclamp 92, the latter being secured as by welding to the shaft 20, thestrip being firmly secured longitudinally of the shaft and beinglongitudinally adjustable thereto by means of a set screw 94 extendingthrough the clamp 82. The sleeve 90 of the strip 87 extends towards thefree end 96 of the shaft 20 and rotatably receives a straight middleportion 97 of a length of spring steel wire 98, the latter havingelongated end sections 99 extending from the ends of said middle portion97 and being bent so that they cross each other in the form of an X, thefree ends 100 of said end portions being spaced apart and engaged with alength of transversely extending flexible chain 102. The latch mechanism85 is so arranged by the set screw 94 that the flexible chain 102extends outwardly beyond the free end 96 of the shaft 20 a distance ofapproximately one-half an inch.

The device 10 is strapped to the left arm, the fastening apparatus 25being secured to the wrist, and fastening apparatus 26 being secured atthe biceps so that the shafts 19 and 20 extend across the inside of theelbow. The shafts 19 and 20 must be positioned so that the tongue 82 isaligned with and is on the same side as the latch mechanism when the armis positioned so that the club 14 addresses the ball, said shafts 19 and20 must also be posibeing hingedly connected at one end to the wristfastening element, an elongated tubular sleeve member hingedly connectedat one end to the biceps fastening element and adapted to extend at itsfree end across the inside of the elbow and slidably and rotatablyreceive the free end of the cylindrical member, said members beingtelescopically movable between extended and retracted positions uponmovement of the arm between straightened and bent positions and beingrelatively rotatable to permit pronation of the hand, a first lockingelement mounted on the sleeve member, and a second locking element inthe cylindrical member engageable with the first element, said lockingelements being located on their respective members so as to beoperatively effective for locking the members in a predeterminedposition upon their change in relative positions from a fully extendedposition effected by the tendency of the arm to bend during theback-swing to thereby prevent bending of the arm and to be operativelyineffective upon said members change in relative positions effected bythe pronation of the hand in the follow-through portion of the swing, tothereby permit the members to move to a retracted position and therebypermit the arm to bend freely.

4. A golf swing correcting device for application to a golfers armcomprising a pair of fastening elements, one adapted to be secured tothe arm at the wrist and the other at the biceps, an elongatedcylindrical member being hingedly connected at one end to the wristfastening element and having a transversely extending slot formedthereacross, an elongated tubular sleeve member hingedly connected atone end to the biceps fastening element and adapted to extend at itsfree end across the inside of the elbow and slidably and rotatablysecure the free end of the cylindrical member, said members beingtelescopically movable between extended and retracted positions uponmovement of the arm between straightened and bent positions and beingrelatively rotatable to permit pronation of the hand, and a latchswingably mounted on the sleeve member normally extending towards andriding on the cylindrical member, said cylindrical member beingrotatably and relatively positioned so that the latch will align itselfwith the slot to engage the latter upon predetermined retractablemovement of the members due to a predetermined bending of the arm fromits straightened position during the back-swing, said members uponpronation of the hand in the follow-through portion of the stroke beingadapted to rotate relative to each other so as to rotatably move thelatch relative to the slot to a nonaligned position, thereby permittingsaid member to move to a retracted position and thereby permitting thearm to bend freely.

5. A golf swing correcting device as claimed in claim 4 in which thecylindrical member is of hollow construction and includes a ball movableby gravity between fixed stops in said cylindrical member, said ballbeing adapted to give audible evidence of its impact upon striking oneof said stops.

6. A golf swing correcting device as claimed in claim 5 in which one ofsaid stops is movable longitudinally of the cylindrical member tothereby vary the distance the ball travels between said stops and hencethe time interval taken by the ball to move from one stop to the other.

7. A golf swing correcting device as claimed in claim 4 including buffermeans securable to the wrist fastening element so that it may besqueezed between the golfers hands, whereby the golfer is urged tomaintain a firm grip of his leading hand on the golf club.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,710 6/1923 MacDonald273-183 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

G. I. MARLO, Assistant Examiner.

1. A GOLF SWING CORRECTING DEVICE FOR APPLICATION TO A GOLFER''S ARMCOMPRISING A BRACE FORMED OF A PAIR OF ELONGATED TELESCOPICALLY ARRANGEDMEMBERS, MEANS TO FASTEN THE BRACE AT THE WRIST AND BICEPS SO THAT ITEXTENDS ACROSS THE INSIDE OF THE ELBOW, SAID MEMBERS BEINGTELESCOPICALLY MOVABLE BETWEEN EXTENDS AND RETRACTED POSITIONS UPONMOVEMENT OF THE ARM BETWEEN STRAIGNTENED AND BENT POSITIONS AND BEINGRELATIVELY ROTATABLE TO PERMIT PRONATION OF THE HAND, AND MUTUALLYENGAGEABLE LOCKING MEANS ON EACH MEMBER LOCATED SO AS TO BE OPERATIVELYEFFECTIVE FOR LOCKING THE MEMBERS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION UPON THEIRCHANGE IN RELATIVE POSITIONS FROM A FULLY EXTENDED POSITION EFFECTED BYTHE TENDENCY OF THE ARM TO BEND DURING THE BACK-SWING TO THEREBY PREVENTBENDING OF THE ARM AND TO BE OPERATIVELY INEFFECTIVE UPON SAID MEMBERSCHANGE IN RELATIVE POSITIONS EFFECTED BY THE PRONATION OF THE HAND INTHE FOLLOW-THROUGH PORTION OF THE SWING, TO THEREBY PERMIT THE MEMBERSTO MOVE A RETRACTED POSITION AND THEREBY PERMIT THE ARM TO BEND FREELY.